Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-06-04
OUR GREAT %NEIGHB0Rs.
The Commanding Location of Great
Falis-Some Notes on the Vast
Regions Around us.

Regions Around US.
In addition to being in the center OF the
garden spot Of Montana, Great Falls is
almost midway between the vast region
which extends from lake Superior to the
Pacific ocean. When the Manitoba and
| Montana Central railroads are completed,
Great Falls will be in easy journey by
/, railroad of all the large markets on the
| Pacific slope. as we'll as those IN Min
nesota.
AS the interests of Great Falls cores
| ponds with those of Montana, details are
appended of the wealthy neighbors which
| this territory has on the east n west, as
we'll as On the south.
Minnesota, which may be regarded as
our first great neighbor On the east, has
won world wide renown by her enterprise
and industrial productions. The state has
an area of $3.50 square miles, or 53,459,-
900 acres, with a population of 1,11S,4o6.
It possesses great natural advantages. The
| soil is very productive, climate dry, in
| MIGRATING and healthful and the CONNER
cial, manufacturing and agricultural re-
sources are very large. The northern por-
| ton of Minnesota is generally a fine agri-
cultural country, containing a large num-
Der of thriving towns and villages, but
| being, comparatively, we'll settled. and the
| lands having advanced largely in value,
the tide Of immigration pours steadily
| onward further west to the cheaper, and,
as they are proving, more productive
lands of Dakota and Montana.
VAST Upr pRAIRIES. 49,.
Coming westward the traveller finds on
the border of this great territory the broad
plains and the busy cities of north Dakota,
| which contains an area of about 10000
square miles, or 4 ,32O,000 acres-nearly
as much as Pennsylvania and Ohio com
bined. 1t is traversed by the Manitoba
and Northern Pacific railroads, for dis
tances of about 400 miles each. North
Dakota has that peculiar soil, combined
with the natural climatic conditions, that
| produces a quality of hard spring wheat,
which cannot be produced south of the
wheat belt. Fuel is abandant and cheap,
and water plentiful and good. Ignite
coal, of good quality and in thick veins,
underlies q large portion of the country.
There is here apparent a large and con-
slant increase in population, which is adj
justing itself through north Dakota to ag-
ricultural and stock-raising pursuits, to
manufacturing enterprises, to professional
duties, to the various trades, to supply the
great demand for labor, and to general
business calIings. There is a steady adj
vance ia the values Of all property.
GoLD-PRoDUcING IDAHO.
sOn the west flank of Montana is nor
them Idaho, q region of mountains and
forests, with small prairies and narrow
valleys, available for farming settlement.
Here is the Ceur d'AIene range, which is
.one of the toughest in America, and but
little known of the treasures which it now
seems probable exist in its hundreds of
square miles of deep recesses. This is an
attractive field for prospecters. Fifty
miles north, in the mountains thanking
Pend d'Oreille river, groupings of heavy
lead ores, rich in silver, have been found,
but owing to their inaccessibility hitherto
uOtilltlR idS bSCii dOlC III LIN way VI z
velopment. Still farther north, form so
to 100 miles, is a gold quartz and placer
belt. The placers have been worked in a
small way for a number of years, and con-
siderable gold has been shipped from
them, but nothing has been done with the
quartz The whole mountain region
,<ro%,Isp~ rnrfhvroe1 - ,,r,a&,o,l1y -, ks,z
explored country" Northern Idaho of
fers an inviting field for prospectors and
miners, and a most attractive region for
sportsmen and tourists.
Beyond Idaho, the northern portion of
which may yet form part of Montana, are
Washington territory with an area of &c.
100 square miles, or nearly 100000
acres, and Oregon with an area of 1924
square miles, nearly 100000 acres,-
"Paciic Northwest,"-are richer in nat
ural than almost any other part
of the United States. This vast and highly
favored section of country is now attract
ing the attention of large numbers of peo-e
pie, and thousands are fiocking there 10
share in the prosperity which must neces-
sarily follow its development, its
being capable of expansion to an almost
uIllllifiSd GAtclie. liz pOpuIdttOu Oh
Washington and Oregon is now about
100000, but if as densely populated as
New York and Pennsylvania. Oregon
alone would contain over 10,O0o.0oG peo-
pie, and if as thickly settled as Holland it
would number over 81, 0 900 inhabitants.
Washington and Oregon possesses a re-
markably rich, easily cultivated and very
fertile soil. Ordinary cultivation results
in abundant crops. River bottoms are
numerous and extensive, with rich depos-
its of alluvium, and the upland region has
a dark, strong clay-loam soil. The great
plains are most admirably adapted to wheat
raising. The quality and yield of wheat
in this region are remarkable, while sill
other cereals, potatoes and other vegeta-
bles are grown in perfection. The yield
of wheat ranges from 25 to so bushels to
the acre, with q weight of from so to SIS
pounds to the bushel, while the yield OF
oats, barley and rye are rroporfionately
great. Flax and hops are important and
profitable crops. Apples and fruits Of all
kinds are raised in great profusion, and
are noted for size and flavor.
1t is scarcely possible to exaggerate the
extent and vallln rf tho forocfcSf Nrneh,,~